The Internet provides a convenient way to interact and to request various types of information. People can use the Internet, for example, to communicate with each other, share information, and organize virtual communities (e.g., a social network).
One way of requesting information using the Internet is by using a search tool on a web site (e.g., Google search service). Some search tools allow a user to search using a search query. For example, a user may enter a location and a query for “Italian restaurants” to identify Italian restaurants in a specified area or location. Various web sites, including some social networks, are able to accept search queries from users. A search query indicates the information that a user is seeking.
Search services typically log search queries executed on such services. These query logs can provide a rich source of information which can be mined to gain insight into topics that are of interest to users. Such information, however, can be voluminous, potentially involving millions of queries. The identification of matter of interest in such query logs can therefore, be greatly facilitated by automated processing.